1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to in-vehicle entertainment devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to removable entertainment devices that can be used as a stand alone device, and used in a vehicle docking bracket.
2. Description of Related Art
Recent advances have allowed for the incorporation of video entertainment systems into vehicles. Roof mounted video screens provide an example of such an entertainment system. Typically, the video screen is stored in a housing that is secured to the roof of the vehicle and can be flipped downward when an occupant of the vehicle desires to view the screen. The system displays images from an attached videocassette drive or other device onto the video screen, allowing vehicle occupants to view prerecorded video inside the vehicle.
The owners of such vehicles may have similar video equipment attached to a home entertainment system or may even have a portable entertainment system for use away from the home and outside of the vehicle. Consequently, the in-vehicle video entertainment system can be duplicative of other equipment possessed by the vehicle owner. This results in increased entertainment expenses for the vehicle owner.
If a typical portable entertainment system were configured to flip down from the roof similar to integrated entertainment systems, the video image would need to be inverted, such that, it would appear upright from the vantage point of the passenger. Further, it may be preferable to listen to the audio portion of the entertainment system through the integrated vehicle audio system. Accordingly, a method and interface must be provided to configure the audio and video parameters of the entertainment system.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved portable entertainment device.